This article comes from Better Homes & Gardens.

The Complete Fall Cleaning Checklist for a Tidy Home

As the seasons change, so should your cleaning routine. You might already conduct an annual spring cleaning, but it’s just as important to give your home a refresh once summer comes to a close. Fall typically brings cooler weather and more time spent indoors, which can mean increased foot traffic, dust, and debris. It also signals the approach of the holiday season, which often brings houseguests and extra cooking along with it. Deep cleaning an entire home, however, is a big job, and sometimes even tackling a single room can be overwhelming. To make seasonal cleaning a breeze, break down each room into a checklist of must-do tasks. Then integrate cleaning into your daily schedule to make it feel less like a chore. Follow this fall cleaning checklist for a room-by-room approach to tidying your home for the season.

Kitchen Cleaning To-Dos

The kitchen is often the center of the home, where everyone gathers when they get home from daily activities. Fall weather lends itself to muddy shoe prints that get tracked into the kitchen. Cooler weather also means less outdoor grilling and more indoor cooking, which can do a number on kitchen surfaces. With more time spent indoors, it’s important to stay on top of tidying up, especially on surfaces that come in contact with food.

Dedicate a few minutes after dinner to making kitchen cleaning easier. These three tasks can be done in ten minutes or less and can easily work their way into your after-dinner cleanup routine.

Fall Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

• Clear off and wipe down counters
• Scrub sink
• Sweep floor for crumbs

Bathroom Cleaning Tasks

Your bathroom is an important space to clean, no matter what the season. It’s the room in which you bathe and prep for the day, so it should be freshened up regularly, too. Keep your bathroom clean by accomplishing small tasks every day.

Fall Bathroom Cleaning Checklist

• Clean off counters
• Wipe down shower walls while showering
• Wipe out sink
• Refresh towels – Put out a new hand towel; use the old one to wipe down the sink.
• Clean the toilet – A quick daily wipe-down with a toilet brush can prevent stains and mildew.

Living Room Cleaning Tips

Fall is the perfect time to cozy up in the living room around the fireplace. With increased use, however, living areas can quickly collect clutter. Family night in the living room can also mean snacking on the couch, which leads to more spills and stains. Stay on top of tidy appearances by doing a quick pick-up each evening. It takes just a few minutes to do a quick living room refresh with these daily living room cleaning tasks.

Fall Living Room Cleaning Checklist

• Pick up clutter
• Spot-clean spills
• Straighten pillows
• Clean screens – Wipe fingerprints off TV screens with a 1:1 solution of distilled white vinegar and distilled water.
• Freshen upholstery – Remove stale smells from upholstery by sprinkling on baking soda with a cheese shaker. Let sit at least 15 minutes or overnight; vacuum.

Bedroom Cleaning Tasks

Days get shorter and nights get longer when fall comes around. Make sure your bedroom is tidy and clean for unwinding at night. For those who sleep with the window open throughout the summer, closing up for the season can lead to shocking amounts of dust and pollen collected on bedroom surfaces. Clean up this essential spot for relaxation with a regular bedroom cleaning ritual.

Fall Bedroom Cleaning Checklist

• Make your bed daily
• Launder sheets weekly
• Rotate mattress every two months
• Dust ceiling fans – Reduce allergens by dusting ceiling fan blades often. While you’re up there, flip the fan’s direction switch: In fall and winter, blades should move clockwise to circulate heated air.

Exterior Cleaning Essentials

Cold weather can do a number on your home, especially if certain areas aren’t prepped correctly for the shift in weather. Fall is the time to retire patio furniture and spruce up your exterior, including a few important maintenance tasks, before winter hits. Here are some important home exterior cleaning tasks to complete this fall.

Fall Exterior Cleaning Checklist

• Clean out gutters
• Rake leaves
• Power-wash windows and siding
• Clean patio furniture and store away
• Have your furnace and chimney inspected and cleaned before use – Remember to change your furnace filter monthly.

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